Man dies, woman and two young children injured after vehicle leaves Highway 4 Wednesday night

February 21st, 2019updated

WATCH Port Alberni's mayor is calling for the province to improve cell service on Highway 4 in the wake of a fatal crash Wednesday night in an area without coverage.

New details are emerging in a fatal single-vehicle crash on Highway 4 Wednesday night, about six kilometres west of Sutton Pass between Sproat and Kennedy Lakes.
RCMP say the Port Alberni detachment was called around 8:25 p.m., and upon arrival found a vehicle had gone down a steep embankment and came to rest against a tree.
Police say a 28-year-old male passenger died as a result of injuries, and the 25-year-old female driver and a three-year-old child sustained “significant” injuries.
A six-year-old girl had minor injuries and all four vehicle occupants had to be extricated by emergency personnel.
An RCMP release says at this time, a “lack of occupant restraints is considered to be a contributing factor to the significant injuries sustained by the vehicle’s occupants.”

Central Vancouver Island Traffic Services is handling the investigation.
Central Vancouver Island Traffic Services (CVITS) is handling the investigation.
How the vehicle left the roadway is still under investigation and no factors have been ruled out though police say the highway was icy at the time.
Anyone with information regarding the crash is asked to call CVITS in Parksville at 250-248-6111.
The highway was reduced to single-lane alternating traffic for several hours before fully reopening around 3 a.m.